Pie is one of those foods that is so versatile that anybody can like it. You can create many different fillings and concoct a large variety of flavors. There are sweet and savory pies, as you can try fruity flavors, meaty flavors, and a ton of other combinations. One of the biggest keys to having a proper pie that turns out the way you want it is by having the crust bake evenly. Sometimes, that means you’ll need to blind bake the crust and a helpful way to ensure that it bakes evenly is by using pie crust weights. These will weigh down the bottom layer and prevent bubbles from forming. This will keep your crust flat and fortify it so that the fillings don’t spill through or out. If you are going to pre-bake or blind bake your crust, try any of the pie crust weights we’ve highlighted below. You’ll soon be able to enjoy fantastically flaky crusts.
Best for Preventing Buckling
You don’t want your pie to buckle under the weight of your filling. Blind baking with Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Ceramic Pie Crust Weights will make sure that your pie holds up. This will help make sure that your crust won’t shrink, bubble or buckle. Made from natural, food-safe ceramic stoneware, these are heat-resistant up to 480°F. You can keep all of these together, thanks to the container they come in. The individual beads are easy to place where you need them, as you can arrange them. It keeps bubbles from forming and helps transfer heat evenly. It’s perfect for banana cream pies, chocolate cream pies, lemon meringue pies, strawberry rhubarb pies, banoffee pies and more. You can use these with frozen or homemade pie crusts. It’s easy to clean these, as you can wipe them down or wash them in warm, soapy water.
Key Features:
- Makes sure your crust won’t shrink, bubble or buckle
- Made from natural, food-safe ceramic stoneware
- Individual beads are easy to place where you need them
Best for One Pie
If you’re making a single pie, then you can consider the Kitchen Craft Ceramic Baking Beans for Pastry. This is an easy way to bake blind. Each bean conducts heat evenly by preventing air bubbles or shrinking the pastry base. These are boxed and come in a container that’s easy to store. This is a one-pound container of beans or 500 grams of them. They are non-porous, so they are safe to bake with your dough.
Key Features:
- Conducts heat evenly preventing air bubbles
- Boxed and come in a container
- Non-porous and are safe to bake
Best Circular Choice
Perfect for nine to 11-inch pies, the Chicago Metallic Pie Weight comes in a single piece. This single pie weight keeps crust flat while baking. It is designed with perforations to allow airflow to reach the dough. This is top rated by Cook’s Illustrated magazine and it comes with a design for easy removal. It accommodates pies up to 11″ in diameter and is safe to put in the oven up to 450°F. You can wash this in the top rack of the dishwasher.
Key Features:
- Designed with perforations to allow airflow
- Single piece weight
- Can be washed in the top rack of the dishwasher
Best Large Set
Packing over 600 beads, the Webake 10mm Ceramic Pie Weights come with cotton bags. These are used for blind baking, perfect for pie or tart shell baking. This is great for party catering and home baking. This is 1.6 pounds of reusable ceramic pie crust weights in a bag. You can place the weights on the parchment paper prevents the crust from over expanding or puffing up too much. This is enough for at least two pies and they are great for all sizes of pans and pies. You can wash these with warm, soapy water and you can store them in a cool, dry place.
Key Features:
- Great for party catering and home baking
- 1.6 pounds of reusable ceramic pie crust weights in a bag
- Should be stored in a cool, dry place
Best for Two Pies
Kept in a mesh storage bag, the R&M International 2723 Ceramic Pie Weights are easy to carry. This comes with one pound of weights, which is good enough for two pies. Instructions are included to help you get the most even bake on the bottom. They are non-porous so they don’t absorb flavors or others. These distribute heat evenly for perfect results every time.
Key Features:
- Good enough for two pies
- Instructions are included to help you get the most even bake
- Distribute heat evenly for perfect results
